The Washington critic., 1887-04-18
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

says Warrington special to the
New York Tina; ] met yesterday one
OF the aoquAlntancos Of Interstate Com.
mcrce Commissioner Bragg. This &C.
quaintance is q New. Yorker who own.
ed some Alabama State bonds and
journeyed down 10 Montgomery four
or nye years ago 10 sec about the
chances Of getting settlement with
the State. Bragg was recommended
to him as lawyer OF ability and push
whose service as attorney might be OF
incalculable value. lie called on the
lawyer, explained the case and offered
n big retainer. Bragg looked at his
visitor minute or two, sent stream Of
tobacco juice clear across the room
and drawled out, placidly' That re.
taincr Is pretty big one. but this
Office Is taking no case against
Its native State. You will have TO hunt
up some other lawyer" The retainer
thus declined was for the amount
Of several thousand dollars, n sort Of
fee, by the way, that the average Ala.
bama law office does not frequently
have chance at. The gentleman who
told me this Is well known figure In
Wall street and Republican, bu,
great bull on Bragg. lie does not
think anybody will be able 10 practice
much crookedness IN the sight Of
man whose ou,spoken loyalty led to the
refusal OF a small.slzed fortune.
-
A story Is told In the Washington
correspondence Of the Baltimore Sun
ofayoung lady, the orphan daughter
Of an army officer, who, To- assist In
supporting her mother aud sister, ap.
piled for an appointment In the Treas.
ury Department John Sherman was
then Secretary. The courageous little
girl called upon the Secretary and
stated her case. She said she was
willing to do almost anything that
would enable her to provide for her
mother. The Secretary said he had
nothing for her to do, but assured her
that he would cheerfully assist her
whenever an opportunity presented
itself. The little girl insisted that
there was plenty Of work around the
department which ought to be done,
and she expressed herself willing TO
turn her hand TO any grade OF employ.
meBt. She became so persistent that
the Secretary was at loss for
pretext TO get rid Of her.
She surveyed him from head to
foot, and observing that his boots
were not well shined, remarked
with much earnestness: Mr.. Sherman,
think there is something can do for
you, If you will permit me. and that Is
TO give your boots flrst.class shine.
My case is moro desperate than you i'm.
agine, and will accept position as
departmental bootblack." The Sec.
retary was so astonishcd that II was
several seconds before he recovered
sufficiently to direct his clerk to have
the young lady appointed to 5000
clcrkship. She has since married and
is doing well.
Some of the eccentricl,ies of in1uisi.
tive visitors to the Capitol are thus
cleverly reproduced by Con" OF the
Omaha B6G : In the House the stranger
from the rural districts will ask, as |
heard one myself not long ago pro.
pounding the identical inquiry: "Will
you please show me the desk that Gen.
eral Logan sat iny" And when told
that General Logan was Senator, the
reply will be: "Yes, but want to
know where he sat-" And when the
polite guide takes the stranger to the
Senate and points out General Logan's
Gesk, he takes solemn view OF the
old.fashioned thing and remarks I:
why, that's not much bigger than
our school desks at home" And then,
after trying to open the lid and pull
out the drawer, he idly gazes abou,
and asks: Where did Randall sit 2"
"Randall didn't sit here In this cham.
ber at ALL" replies the urbane pointer.
out of things. sticking close to his
victim. why, l thought Mr.. Randall
was Member of Congress. 80 he
is," but his seat was in the House" 1"
What do you call this ERE room p
"This is the Senate; only Sen.
ators sit in these desks" "Oh
Well, suppose that ere pulpi,
up there Is where Speaker Carlisle held
forth" THAT Is the Vice. President 5
chair" meekly responded the guide,
thinking, no doubt, that he would have
TO charge this stranger double price.
II thought the Vice'P President was
dead. voted for that man." 80
he Is; but the Senate elects Senator to
fill his place. Mr.. ingalls, now holds
that position" II want to know. |
have heard of ingalls,, smart fellow,
isn't he? Where's he from :" "From
Kansas" answered the guide. "Well,
III be bowed. thought ingalls, came
from New York. I've heard abou,
The stuckup airs he put on, and
thought maybe he tuck few lessons
from Conkling."
Not long ago, says "a. II. $. D" In
the Minneapolis Tribune, called upon
friend stopping at one of our leading
hotels, who was at one time clerk In
the Treasury Department. While in
Uncle Sans service, being intelligent
and having strong political backing, he
rose from 81, 600 clerk to 81 400. Bu,
several years passed in this transform
ing process, and he realized that his
ambition for anything outside of Gov.
eminent work was waning year by
year; in other words, he was becoming
an imbecic, He made up his mind
that he would reach 81 800 clerkship
and then resign, and taking Horace
Greeley's advice. "go West" He did
so. That was ten years ago. To-day
he is worth SjO'O0O. While we were
chatting over the good old times, in
walked young man from his section
of country--a bright, intelligent look.
ing fellow, whose clothes were rather